Anjulis, Vincent

Vincent Anjulis was born in New Jersey in 1916 and enlisted in the Army March 26, 1941. Ancestry.com shows Vincent as graduate of Lincoln High School in Jersey City, although the dates on that site are a little confusing.

Private Anjulis' group includes his posthumous officially engraved slot brooch Purple Heart with its presentation box and lower half of the white shipping box. The Purple Heart is edge numbered 478672. Private Anjulis would have seen all the action with the 47th from North Africa to Sicily. The 47th returned to England after the Sicily campaign for training prior to D-Day at Normandy. They landed at Utah beach on D+4. Vincent was killed in action two weeks later in the action to secure Cherbourg.

The 47th Infantry Regiment was reactivated on August 1st, 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.In early November, 1942, in the campaign to secure the northern coast of Africa, the 47th Regimental Combat Team stormed the beaches of Safi, Morocco. The 47th continued across North Africa with the Allies in their successful campaign to drive the German armies from that continent. Landing at Palermo, Sicily on August 1st, 1943, the Raiders swung into action one week later. On August 26th, Sicily was officially declared in the hands of the Allies.

On D-Day plus 4, June 10th, 1944, the 47th Regiment landed on Utah Beach, Normandy. By June 14th,1944, combat patrols were in contact with the Germans and by nightfall of the 16th the 47th Regiment blocked the last escape route for the Germans in the Contentin Peninsula.The famous port of Cherbourg was next and its capture is one of the brightest chapters in the 9th Division history. With the help of sister regiments the 47th laid siege to the city. Stubborn opposition greeted the Raiders, for the enemy held the high ground and other strategic positions. However, just after noon on June 25th, 1944, the Regiments 2nd Battalion became the first Allied troops to enter the city. Stiff resistance was encountered until the 28th of June, the day Cherbourg fell. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions received Distinguished Unit Citations for their gallantry and heroism in the seizure of the city.